Bright Side Founder, Industry Professional, WAAPA grad, Primary School Teacher

Double Bachelor WAAPA graduate Amy Fortnum began her training in 2013 with a Bachelor of Music, specialising in Classical Voice. Integrating this experience with fifteen years of dance tuition at Jody Marshall Dance Company, she was accepted into WAAPA’s Music Theatre Bachelor degree, where she played leading lady Julie Jordan in Carousel. In 2020, Amy became the first female to play Weasel in Australian Shakespeare Company's 34th annual season of The Wind in the Willows. She regularly tours with the National Theatre for Children, highlighting issues such as mental health, nutrition, and sustainability through performance. In 2021, Amy understudied Liza Minnelli in The Boy From Oz with Platinum Entertainment. She also starred as leading lady Beryl Mills, the first ever Miss Australia, in the regional tour of Miss Westralia. In 2024, she joined the cast of Titanic the Musical: In Concert at the Melbourne Town Hall alongside Anthony WarlowShe regularly stars in Zealous Productions’ annual Traditional Christmas Pantomimes at the Regal Theatre.

Amy is also a producer, writer, director, and creative mentor. Her original educational musical Filter Fun Park has been presented all around the country, including Yagan Square, presented in partnership with Development WA, Melbourne and New South Wales through Filter Your Future. Her cabaret Golden Age Girls won the 2019 Fringe World Cabaret Award and the 2018 Julie Michael Cabaret Award, with the sequel undergoing creative development with Hayes Theatre Co. Most recently, Amy toured a brand new show Bibbity Bobbity Bondi in a sold out Edinburgh Fringe Season.

Mentor, Emerging WA Artist

Ethan is a graduate from the Diploma of Acting course at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). He’s everybody’s favourite at our Bright Stars school holiday programs and sometimes even stars in our shows alongside our young artists. He joined Bright Side in 2024 for Filter Fun Park in Yagan Square, presented in collaboration with Development WA and Filter Your Future. A true staple of the local Perth theatre scene, Ethan’s most recent theatre credits with Drew Anthony Creative include Footloose and Saturday Night Fever at Planet Royale. Last year, Ethan joined WA Ballet in The Sleeping Beauty at His Majesty’s Theatre and toured all around WA with Perform! Education. He also worked with Humphrey Bower and Teresa Jakovich for WAYTCo.’s production of Shakespeare (a)Gender.

Ethan most recently returned from a nation-wide tour with Drew Anthony, taking over some of the biggest theatres in Melbourne and Sydney!

2026 Program Leader

Tate Bennett is a dynamic and versatile actor with extensive experience in theater and musical productions. After training at NIDA in Sydney, he returned to his hometown of Perth, where he has become a sought-after performer.

Tate's talent landed him a role in Zealous Productions' 2021 Season of The Addams Family, and he received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Laurie in Little Women, winning the Robert Finley Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical. He has also appeared in Xanadu, Seussical the Musical, Miss Saigon, Cinderella a Traditional Christmas Pantomime, The Graduate, and Rock of Ages. Tate's ability to bring complex characters to life has made him a favorite among audiences. He is also expanding his career into feature films and saw two highly anticipated releases and two short films released last year.

After leading our 2026 July Program, Tate will travel overseas to commence an exciting contract cruising internationally!